Day Of 146 Tornadoes...

The very astounding rare weather event the day 

of one hundred forty-six tornadoes in less than a twenty-four hour period which happened on that horrific spring day in 1974 is one many of us here will never forget.

I was especially reminded of this last night, as a very powerful storm system unleashed tornado warnings, as the shrill LOUD tornado sirens were going off, while I hunkered down in my bathtub once again waiting.🥺

On 3 April 1974, an extraordinary, very powerful weather phenomena rapidly unfolded forecasters had never seen before, or since.  Three highly dangerous weather systems were about to collide.  

Right over Kentucky.😱

Before the National Weather Service could issue the first tornado warning, they began touching down.  The first hit at 2:45pm, and continued one after another all through the night.  

A horrific total of 146 tornadoes touched down in Kentucky and six other states.  There were five Category 5 tornadoes, which are the most extreme deadly and destructive ones imaginable.

The first tornado was a Category 5, which plowed into the small town of Brandenburg, Kentucky, wiping it off the map.  The other two Category 5 tornadoes plowed into Louisville, where I was living then, and the small town of Stamping Ground, Kentucky, wiping Stamping Ground off the map too.  Very few of the tornadoes touching down during that terrible night, were lower than Category 3, which is extremely dangerous.🥴

In and earlier blog I told about my friend Ella, who owned the florist and gift shop where I worked as I finished high school where my artwork was being sold too.  We heard on the radio when the tornado that hit Louisville began its path of destruction in the southern corner of the county.  It was 4pm.  

Another thing about these tornadoes, is they stayed on the ground a long time, which was very unusual and why they became even more destructive.  Louisville's tornado was on the ground 37 minutes and traveled 25 miles, crossing the Ohio River which tornadoes never do without weakening.  Not this one!  It kept going far into southern Indiana cutting a terrible swath of destruction before finally dissipating. 

Because it was near time for rush hour traffic to begin, Louisville had a police officer pilot who monitored traffic from a helicopter.  So due to his safe position, he was able to give a non-stop broadcast where the tornado was hitting, and the horrific destruction he was seeing.

It hit Churchill Downs, home of the Kentucky Derby, yet thankfully, spared the Twin Spires, but took out empty horse barns, destroyed the landscaping, and did other significant damage.  Then the tornado completely destroyed Cherokee Park.  In one moment thousands of trees a hundred years old or more, were gone.  It also destroyed the water plant which supplied all of Louisville's water.

Ella and I were in the north eastern part of the county, and had gone outside.  The massive tornado could clearly be seen slowly heading northeast.  At that point we were about ten miles from the tornado's path, yet could hear it's loud roar.  We saw debris swirling high up around it, and the many sparks and fires from power lines and gas lines as it destroyed them.

We just stood there watching this thing...just totally transfixed.  Wordless.😱

"Holy shit, it...it is so HUGE!" I said, when I finally had words.  

Ella said, "I've never known one could be this... uh...so...so...big before."

"I doubt anyone else has either."

Then it turned somewhat.  Our direction.

"Uh Ella, don't you think we should go to the basement?"

"Hell yes!  NOW!"😱

The roar was intense, the building violently shook, power lines snapped, windows broke, then it shifted, continuing on the same north eastward path it had been on sparing us further damage.  The power went out.  But thankfully we still had the radio.  And batteries.

By then the National Weather Service knew Kentucky was in for it, and we were ordered to remain where we were if it was safe.  But suddenly "safe" seemed quite elusive in light of the many more tornadoes still touching down all around us...some in the same places already hit.

All through the night police, fire, and ambulance sirens kept blaring.  Besides the National Weather Service had to keep blaring its alarm on the radio too as tornado after tornado struck, then urgently repeating again and again, "Take cover NOW!"  National radio programs broadcast during the night cancelled their regularly scheduled programs focusing instead on Kentucky all night.  

Obviously we, nor most of Kentucky slept.  The tornadoes continued well into daylight the next morning.  Kentucky was forever changed.  Hundreds were killed.  Thousands lost everything.  Schools, everything closed.  Those of us who lived through it were forever changed.

Two tornadoes hit close to the farm where I boarded Selah.  Thankfully the horses were fine.  Just part of the barn roof was gone.  However, it was days before I could even get out there, because so many roads remained impassable due to fallen trees and power lines.  

Louisville was a horrible mess, much of it destroyed.  Video was taken the next day from a helicopter showing the whole path the tornado took.  It was both astounding and terribly heartbreaking because the path was not only very long but miles wide.

It was the same in Brandenburg and Stamping Ground where the two other Category 5 tornadoes struck.  Not even counting all the other tornadoes that hit Kentucky and beyond.  The little town of Xenia, Ohio, just across the Ohio River from Kentucky was hit by one of the Category 5 tornadoes, and it too, was wiped off the map with a large loss of life.

As in all situations like this, good comes shining forth.  Since this tragedy struck only three weeks before The Kentucky Derby, there was talk of having to do the unthinkable...cancelling it.  The famous tulips it is also known for were all gone, along with the other severe damage.  Then a very amazing thing happened.  A plane from the Netherlands arrived in Louisville one day, loaded with tulips, uplifting the city.  The Kentucky Derby would go on.

One serious thing officials realized in the aftermath, was how lacking a warning system we had for tornadoes.  Immediately, a change happened.  A huge one.  The other tornado alley states like Kentucky took notice of what was done, and changed their warning systems based upon ours.  Hundreds of tall tornado sirens were installed throughout the whole state, so that no matter where anyone is in Kentucky, if a siren goes off, it is heard because there are so many of them strategically located from one end of the state to the other.  And they have saved lives many times since, including mine.  In addition, the state has always invested in the latest weather technology regardless of cost.   

Besides Foaling Season, Spring also means Tornado Season in Kentucky.  Hopefully we, nor any other state will ever experience another Day Of 146 Tornadoes.🥴

When I used my excellent tact...

We have all surely had these moments in our lives at one time or another, and then if we haven't, we must not be opening our mouths or signing with our hands very much.😂 

I am talking about those folding up with embarrassment moments and/or opening our mouths and inserting our foot moments.  And yes, yours truly has managed to have a few zingers along the way.😳  

Because the show must always go on even if the Scene Designer gets thrown into a hospital for a unexpected long period, the theatre I would be working for at such a time would very understandably need to hire a replacement to finish the season.  Then after I recovered from whatever surgery and long recovery, I had no choice but to find temporary work, which was never a problem.  During those intervals I have helped veterans obtain their benefits, made signs for small businesses, did framing, worked for (in the offices of) horse farms or equine veterinarians, and finally, even worked for a architectural firm, painting what a building would look like to give clients a visual rendering beyond the hard to visualize plans staring at them.🙂

So this particular open-mouth-insert-foot event happened when I was working at the architectural firm.

The somewhat small firm was owned by a dear husband-wife team, employing approximately twenty-five men and two women, aside from the owners who were not there often.  

One day out of the blue, the owners suddenly brought in a new Marketing Manager and wouldn't you know, it was their daughter in-law.  In the first place, we didn't even have a Marketing Manager position to begin with.  Some of the guys were uncomfortable with this.  Soon we ALL were very uncomfortable.😱

Unfortunately you see, Ms. Donna brought along with her a problem which immediately began affecting us.  For dear Ms. Donna had a body odor issue.  An intense one.  While the rest of us dressed comfortably, aside from me who dressed like a hippie, Ms. Donna who was also extremely haughty, dressed quite impeccably.  She wore expensive business suits with matching high heels.  And she constantly worried about her appearance.  

One day when she needed a ride to pick her car up that had been worked on, everyone suddenly had excuses as to why they just could not give her a ride...except me.  I got caught off guard.  So I had to give her a ride in my car which contained two bales of hay, horse feed, grooming supplies, bridles, lead shanks, halters.  Ms. Donna then worried and fretted to no end driving us crazy, fearing she smelled.  Like a horse.  To the point she rushed home, changed business suits, and immediately took the one she had on to the cleaners.  Believe me, we would have all been very grateful IF SHE DID SMELL LIKE A HORSE after riding in my car, but alas, she didn't.  No way.🥴

Something drastic needed to be done.  Giving her perfume and fancy soaps on her birthday didn't work.  So all the guys, Miss Bailee, and I met after work one evening.  Right away, the guys felt either Miss Bailee or I had to take this task on, because we were of course, women you see.  

Then the conversation went something like this...

"Adelaide, we think you should be the one."

"ME?!!  Why ME?!!"

"Because you're so cute and the owners really like you.  Besides you have something in common with her."💫

"I don't have A THING in common with her!"🙄

"You're near the same age, and she nearly pees her pants laughing like the rest of us when you tell your hilarious horse, dwarf, or theatre stories!  She never even smiles at any of us."😱

"So please do it for all of us, Adelaide!  PLEASE?!!  We'll EVEN buy you a whole month's worth of horse feed if you do this!  PUH-LEEZE?!!"

They got me on the horse feed.😂

As soon as there was no chance of rain in the forecast so we could be outdoors for my sake, I reluctantly asked if Ms. Donna would have lunch with me at the park.

"Sure.  But I'll drive myself, if you don't mind, and you must drive yourself!"

"No, I don't mind!  Not at all!"  

I wasn't about to tell the poor woman how badly she smelled if I didn't have my car with me!🙄

At the park as we were nearly done eating, with 

Ms. Donna at one end of the long table and I at 

the other, I asked, "Ms. Donna, have you ever had concerns expressed where you previously worked about body odor?"🤫

"No, why?  Are YOU having a problem with body odor, Adelaide?"  [Sometimes people are terribly slow about grasping what one is saying no matter how clearly one expresses it]🙄

"HELL NO!!!  I uh...ahem...mean NO.  But didn't anyone ever express to you the fact YOU have a unpleasant smell?"😖

"Not exactly.  I never worked any place for very long.  I wear the best, most expensive clothing yet people don't like me for some reason."🤪

"Uh, what do you mean by, 'Not exactly?'"🙃  

"Okay!  So I've been told I have body odor, can 

you believe that?!!  How rude people are!  After all, I take my clothes to the cleaners each week, and I bathe [once] every week too, so how could I possibly smell?!!"💥

"Ms. Donna, something is not working, and there is no other way to try to put this...you really smell.  And you smell downright awful.  You must be a very lovely person, but it is so difficult to be around you no one can find this out.  Miss Bailee is getting calls from those you visit to promote the firm, begging to please not have you ever return."😱

"How dare you talk to me this way!  I don't believe you!"

"Ms. Donna, I'm trying to tell you in the nicest way possible, you flat out stink to high heaven.  Worse than cow manure.  Even rotten eggs.  Probably not as bad as a skunk though..."🤣

"I've never been so insulted, you...you..."

"Midget?  You've got to admit..."  

"I'm calling my in-laws!"

"...at least I'm not a stinking midget!"💥

I really tried so hard to use my best tact.  I really did.  Yet I think it all fell apart when I mentioned the manure, rotten eggs, and skunk bit to her.🤫

Not surprisingly I received soon a call from the owners.😱  Wanted me to come visit their home right away.  As I left, my comrades in arms were preparing to revolt on my behalf.😃

I went to the mansion overlooking the river where the owners lived.

When they told me they were absolutely thrilled with me, I was speechless.🤣

The gist of it all was first, their beloved son, blinded by love, was immune to his wife's odor issue.  It was destroying the family.  They didn't know what to do.  Besides, the woman couldn't hold any jobs due to this "problem."

But the owners had explicit faith in their employees.👍 

After Ms. Donna lost yet another job, they very sneakily created the "Marketing Manager" position as a way to put Ms. Donna in our midst, hoping WE could somehow put things into motion for what THEY were too afraid of trying to do themselves.  So in effect I then became THEIR catalyst.💥 

As they listened to the very excellent "tact" I used to make Ms. Donna aware of the situation, the owners couldn't stop laughing.  Gave me a huge raise!  Said they were going to give the rest one too.😃

"Uh, may I please make a phone call right away?😳  

I need to stop a revolt from happening..."🤣

The owners had a long talk with their son and daughter in-law, who finally acknowledged she had a problem.  Somehow it all got resolved, she got a brand new job, and the last I heard, was still working at the same place after many years, odor free.👏

Amazing.  And all because of the very excellent tact I used...😂💥

More about Aiden & I...

Perhaps some of you may have noticed I haven't written alot here yet about Aiden.  Though seventeen years have now past since he drowned in a freak accident a month before we were to be married, at times it is still hard.  I so miss the what our journey together would have been.  Sweet memories I have many of, but I still miss him terribly.  We laughed a LOT.  Finished each others sentences.  We were crazy about each other, and loved being together.😃💕🐎

Aiden was a year older than me.  My birthday is the 11th of April, and his was the 16th of April.  We loved having those five days we were the same age, thus began celebrating this on the 13th for fun.  And we had even chosen the 1st of April for our wedding!😂

For the new readers today, Aiden was my 5'11" true love, and I his.  We met through our horses.  My horse Patches came running to me at the sound of my voice, but Aiden's horse, Sierra played hard to get with him.  So when Patches and Sierra became buddies, she came to me too.  Sierra didn't play hard to get with me like she did with Aiden, and it wasn't long before he began hearing from other boarders how Sierra came to galloping right to ME when Patches did.  Aiden soon realized he REALLY needed to meet me and coordinate our schedules to ride, which we did.  In the process we fell deeply in love.💕

We both had never found the right one before we met, yet we were both also living very busy lives with our respective careers too.  Many assume Little People marry other Little People, and this often is the case.  But you see, I've never exactly been an average Little Person either.😂

Anyway, Aiden was an only child.  While his parents were concerned he still hadn't found that special one, when he did date a number of women along the way, and would take one home to meet his parents, they were often very relieved when the relationship hadn't worked out.🤣

Eventually Patches and I came along though, and the time came for ME to meet his parents.  A few days before we were to have dinner with his parents at their home I asked if he had told them yet I was a Little Person.  He hadn't.😱

Whenever I humorously would add a third syllable to his name, he knew I was either seriously about to change his mind regarding a matter, or contest a word he used playing Scrabble, or perhaps the amount of rent I owed when landing on his Monopoly property.🤣

"Now Aiden-thon, my dear, giving your parents a heads-up I am a bit more unique than others, may be far more appreciated than you think.  They need time to digest 
who their son will be bringing home."

"But you've told me how you learned not to tell people in advance when you're interviewing for a job along the way."

"Yes, that's true.  However THIS scenario, my dear, is quite a different one than that.  THIS involves love.  And respect.  Your parents deserve to know in advance I am a bit height challenged."  

"Adelaide, I'm afraid of what their reaction will be."

"Ohhh, I know, my dear one.  Believe me, I understand."

"Will you please sit next to me when I call them?"

"Whatever you need.  Remember, you've got the courage within you to do this.  You CAN do this dear."

And he did.  Later his parents told us regarding this call, they heard something different in his voice as he told them about me:  they could hear he had fallen in love which made them really look forward to meeting me.  His parents were also very grateful I had Aiden make the call too, because it conveyed such thoughtfulness to them, so WE were grateful we did.😃

Often when I first meet people they are very concerned they may say the wrong thing to the point I feel they think I will break at any moment, so I use humor to put people at ease.  It so happened Aiden's parents smoked and I noticed the ash trays, so I asked if they were aware smoking could stunt one's growth I heard.  For a brief moment they looked at me in surprise, then burst into laughter.  They loved it.

In fact they laughed their heads off hearing my dwarf humor about what I encountered and my funny horse stories.  They also heard about my challenging journey from Aiden  and were incredibly touched and inspired 
by my courage. 

When they learned how we met, they loved it.  I asked Aiden's mom for his favorite recipes and she was thrilled.  None of the previous ladies Aiden took home ever did that, you see.😂

So the time came to part.  Hugs abounded.

We hadn't gone a mile before Aiden's phone rang, with his Dad telling him if he didn't marry me they would disown him. 

And that my dear ones, was sweet to us...oh so very sweet.💕🐎😃🐎💕

A farting, a hilarious farting incident...

In my blog, "My Time Spent In Prison," I wrote about my dear friend Nora of many years.  We both were powerful speakers, and had been asked by the Warden of a women's prison to come speak, and were such a hit with not only the women, but the staff as well, we were asked to come back many times.

Apparently the Warden had been raving to his wife about us, because one week Nora got a call from a lady inviting us to come talk.  Days later Nora called me.  "Oh shit, Adelaide!  I nearly forgot!  We have a speaking engagement at some women's group!"

"When?"

"Today, at 4pm."

"Today?!!  How long have you known this?!!"

"Uh, about two weeks."

"Nora!!!"🤪

Kentucky was in the midst of one of its' worse droughts in state history during that time.  Everything was dusty.  Especially my car, since I was raising Patches from a foal and had to feed him twice a day.  I had no choice but to keep two bales of hay in my car, besides sacks of feed, and all his other stuff.  With a dress, fancy shoes, and makeup in tow, I rushed out to the farm to care for Patches, and got ready while he ate.

As Nora and I were driving to the address given, I heard rumblings coming from her body.  There is a beloved, well known hamburger chain throughout the eastern and midwest States, called White Castle.  The hamburgers are small, loaded with onions, cheap, and good.  Also open twenty-four hours a day.

"Nora, please tell me you haven't eaten at White Castle in the last twelve hours?"

"Adelaide, I ate at White Castle just before the sun came up this morning."

"NORA!  You know those cause you to have gas!  How many did you eat?"

"Uh, nine?  Ten?"🙃

"Nora, I have a bad feeling about this."🥴

We both did by the time we arrived at the address given.  This wasn't going to be just any little women's group.  We first arrived at the gate of a rich gated community with mansions.  HUGE mansions.  And we damn near didn't get in until Security verified with the Hostess, we were who we said we were.  

"Oh shit, Nora!  Look at these mansions!"😱

So we arrive at the mansion belonging to a very wealthy CEO.  Valets were there to park cars.  You can imagine their faces when WE drove up in a VERY old dusty car filled with hay and horse feed.  Definitely NOT the kind of cars they were used to!

A nice butler dressed fancy, then escorted us through many large rooms to the one where the wealthy ladies were.  Each room we passed through, the carpet became deeper, and were more ornate than the previous room.  Obviously the Hostess knew immediately who we were, because an African American and a Little Person did stand out from the rest.🙄

"Oh dahlings, you must be Adelaide and Nora!"  

There were about fifty or sixty women dressed to the nines in furs, dresses, gloves, heels, and expensive jewelry.  A fancy table with tea, coffee, finger sandwiches, and cakes had been laid out.  Since I was not the one who ate a bunch of White Castles, and hadn't eaten all day, I helped myself to a few things, besides coffee.

The time came for us to speak.  I was first.  The butler had to bring me a chair so I could reach the podium and microphone.  As I spoke, I noticed Nora who was seated to my left, had begun to squirm uncomfortably.😱 

When I was done the women gave me a rousing applause.

Now it was Nora's turn.  Midway through her powerful story either the effects of riding in a car filled with hay or all the gallons of perfume these ladies used hit her, for suddenly she sneezed unleashing a chain reaction, because when she sneezed the loudest, longest, fart in history escaped my dear friend.😳  Oh, it didn't end there either, because she sneezed again and again and again with the same results each time.😱

By this time I was in my seat drowning in uncontrollable laughter with tears running down my face.🤣

Many ladies unable to endure the White Castle gas bombs, exited to another room, while maids opened windows and sprayed canisters of air freshener.  The kind butler said he never laughed so hard in his life showed us to a bathroom, which by then I was about to pee all over myself.  Thankfully Nora's "problem" had cleared up thanks to all the escaping gas bombs, you see.🥴

So if you're clamoring to know what happened next, because Nora was such a powerful speaker, and many ladies themselves had also experienced the White Castle gas bomb phenomenon, they insisted she continue.  In fact, we were invited to several other mansions for more tea time talks later!😃

Only I made darn sure from then on Nora never had any White Castles on the same day we had been asked to speak anywhere!🤣

The test of courage...

The greatest test of courage on Earth is for one to bear pain without losing heart.
               Robert Ingersoll 

                   Facing west from Adelaide's porch

Walking tall...

Keep your head held high and believe you're walking TALL even if you are not...

A very daring gallop with love...

To be daring one must be more than a little crazy at times, mixed with courageous spunk.

In a earlier blog I wrote about my dear 5'11" Aiden, whose horse Sierra had bonded with Patches and brought us together.  Sierra had been a challenge
for Aiden to catch...that is, until Patches and I came along.  Sierra became attached to Patches, and since Patches always came running to me, Sierra did too.  So Aiden timed his visits to the farm with mine.
It wasn't long before we were deeply in love, and became each other's "THE ONE," before he tragically died.

One day we discovered a mile long horse trail with many hairpin turns.  On each sides of the trail were trees, rocky cliffs with high drop offs far below and a rushing creek in places.  At the very end of the trail was a huge fence, with a major highway just beyond.

When we reached the end, and turned the horses around, they became excited, knowing we were heading back.  And that's when Aiden had an idea.

"Adelaide, let's gallop all the way back!"

"But honey, what about those turns?  And did you notice those drop offs?!!"

You see, by then I was older, and a bit less crazy.

"Aww, common, let's try it!  I think it will be FUN!"

"Okay, I'm in...let's do it!  We should take..."

Before I could finish, Aiden took off on Sierra, with Patches leaping into a fast gallop right behind her.  It was one of the wildest, most thrilling rides I have ever had.  I am not kidding, on some of those hairpin turns, Patches and I were going so fast, when he leaned into the curve, my face was inches from the ground.  On one of the curves I saw nothing but the depths below the edge.

Since Patches was smaller than Sierra, he was galloping very fast to keep up, so our ride was indeed thrilling.  Certainly different than fast gallops across fields!

After we finally came to a stop, Aiden let out a huge,
"WOW!  THAT WAS INCREDIBLE!  Sierra was really flying!  Yet Patches stayed right behind!  When I  glanced back once, he was leaning into the turn so fast you looked like you were hanging over the abyss!"

"Because I WAS hanging over the abyss!  This was AMAZING!  I LOVED it!"

"What were you trying to say to me when we took off?"

"We should take care around those turns..."🤣

On Christmas Day a few months before Aiden died,
there was about a foot of snow on the ground.  He was especially anxious we take the horses out for a ride to a clearing beyond the fields into the woods.

"Now?!!"

"Especially now."

So off we went and the scene was magical.  It was late in the day, with the bright setting sun shining through the trees on the snow.  When we reached the clearing, Aiden suddenly dismounted Sierra.

"Why are you dismounting?  The snow is so deep here..."

"THIS...is why."

And that is when Aiden took a ring out of his pocket, placed it on my finger, and asked if I would marry him.

He said my daring spirit was one of the things he fell in love with.🥰

I still wear the ring and always will.💕

When I shrrrunnnk...

Most of you probably wouldn't freak out if you lost a tiny bit of height as you aged.  So when my dear orthopaedic surgeon had the audacity to inform me I had lost TWO FRIGGIN INCHES IN FIVE YEARS, I VERY POLITELY AND RESPECTFULLY FREAKED OUT!😱

I mean, after all, I only have so many inches in height as it is, and I worked very hard to acquire my TALL 4'3" in height!  As a kid I would hang AND HANG by my arms from tree branches, swing sets, rope swings, and various other objects to lengthen the short long bones in my arms, then do the same hanging upside down from the same objects by my legs to lengthen my short long leg bones.  

My friends and I had explicit faith I would gain considerable height this way.  So this alone had to give me added height!  And by the way, it's not fun spending so much time hanging from objects like that, especially when upside down, but I was a determined kid, you see.🤣

Back to the moment with my current orthopaedic surgeon, Dr. Habersham...

"Adelaide, since we last measured your height, you've lost two inches and I..."

"WHAT?!!  WHAT DO YOU MEAN I'VE LOST TWO INCHES IN HEIGHT?"😱

..."see from your recent scan your lumbar vertebra have collapsed onto each other and fused.  Inaddition, since you're lacking cartilage throughout your body including the spine, the vertebra throughout the thoracic level are grinding away on each other without anything there to prevent this.  How you are still walking at all and riding Patches is astounding to my colleagues and me."

"OH."

"But you're still considered to be a tall Little Person even at the 4'1" height!"

"That's easy for YOU to say!"

"You've spent your life riding horses!  How many people can ride horses?  I'm 6'4" and horses terrify me!"

"Have YOU had a scan lately?  What if you discovered YOU had lost TWO INCHES in five years because your bones are collapsing?"🥴

"OH."

"Ahh, Dr. Habersham, I will eventually accept this.  I have no choice, I have to.  Besides, many other Little People would give anything to be even as tall as me.  Or have the normal sized hands and feet I do."🥺

But you see, my dear ones, I must confess...I haven't accepted it yet.  I am still writing I am a TALL 4'3" Little Person.  I haven't even been able to write I am a TALL 4'1" Little Person yet!  Why?🙃

Obviously my vertebra and other bones collapsing on each other due to gravity is a huge reason why...yet another horrendous aspect of living in a body like mine.

However I think just being 4'3" for fifty-eight years has had much to do with it too.  I simply can't get used to saying I am a TALL 4'1" Little Person yet.  

My being two inches shorter (and I certainly am likely to be even more shorter by now!😂) do not make me a less TALL Little Person, because I am still walking tall.  My attitude is TALL!🤣  

So my dear ones, the time has come for me to accept and embrace the fact that yes, I am shrinking physically, but NEVER in my attitude or spirit!🐎😃🐎 

I am Adelaide, a TALL 4'1" Little Person!😃👏🐎👍

When we listen to the wisdom of nature...

Now and then a blog takes off in a different direction than intended.  This happened with the blog on Kentucky the other day.  The blog was originally to be about this time of needing to be homebound for many around the world.  As I often do, I decided to begin the blog by sharing a word image of how the easy, quiet rhythms of the horse here the Bluegrass has such an impact on our days...our lives.  The next thing I knew my love for this unique Kentucky home where the horse is front and center took us all on a journey about this region.🤣

Think about it.  We race about in our ever busier lives with work, family, friends, trying to do it all, to be all at such a rapid pace, many are reaching a place either at the end of their lives, or even much younger, realizing they haven't LIVED life.  They haven't stopped their frantic pace long enough to appreciate, to explore, to know themselves, to know those around them, to know nature, to create, to laugh, to be inspired, to be at peace, or to love.

When we do not quiet ourselves, our soul cannot be at peace or grow.  Many do not even know how to nurture or understand their inner self or stop long enough to try.  

In a sense, all of my vast time spent in hospitals taught me well.  Confined to a bed ones' options of what matters gets narrowed down drastically.  So I kept a box packed specifically for hospital stays.  In it were treasured books like those by Thoreau, Emerson...those who inspired me, photos of my horses, my boombox and a bunch of tapes I made of what I refer to as "my soaring music."  The box also contained a sketchbook, drawing pencils, and oil pastels, so I could create if I felt able to, and often did.  Staff and other patients would often gather outside my door just to listen to my music because it touched them too, and lifted them.  I never went to a hospital without 
my survival box.  We all need an survival box for our inner selves whether we spend half our lives in hospitals or not.😃

As I have touched on here, during the intervals when I was not in hospitals, I would plunge back into my life and work like there was no tomorrow, because I never knew when I would be back in a hospital.  Yet during those intervals of plunging, I was also with whichever horse I owned at the time, everyday, keeping centered with the gifts of nature which have always sustained me deeply.  My life would be full and busy but centered.💫

Isn't it interesting, how the very devices that make our lives easier, and connect us to the world, are making people busier than ever, throwing people into the rapid pace I touched upon earlier?  These very devices people escape into so one does not HAVE to know oneself?

Part of the reason why I became in demand as a speaker is I caught the attention of people long enough to enable them to look within and be inspired to live more deeply.  If you're reading this blog you likely have discovered by now the sharing of my life, humor, horses, with you hopefully has the same effect.  That hopefully those reading this feel better, become aware, laugh, and are inspired.  At least I hope so.🙏

Amazing things happen when we become quiet and listen.  Thoreau's time spent at Walden Pond pausing, has inspired thousands and still does.  Spending anytime with nature does because nature is a great teacher.👏

Thoreau went to the woods because he wanted to seek and be taught...to live deeply...to suck out the marrow of life.  And not discover when he came to the end of his life, he had not lived.

Nurture yourselves, and listen to nature, dear ones.💫

  

The paper towel machine dance...

So I was in the city of Lexington yesterday morning to see one of my doctors for us to determine how alive I still am, and with a bladder like mine, must use the restroom often.  Which then brings us to the paper towel dispensers found in public bathrooms.  You know, the one with the magic sensors which release a section of paper towel?  That is, assuming of course, one is tall enough for the sensor to recognize there is a hooman (yes I just spelled human that way😃) down here, which they don't.🙄

At this point one has three options:

1.  Not wash hands  (NO WAY!)

2.  Wash hands and leave dripping (then quickly assure the doctor who warmly grabs your hand to greet you it's not pee making it wet)😂

3.  Do the Adelaide Dance👇

The Adelaide Dance involves one having the ability to execute some serious dance moves because after all, the outcome is very important here.  While raising both arms in the air and waving them, dance wildly.  Move to the left.  Move to the right.  Close in on the sensor.  Back away.  Do a spin.  

Jump up and down.  Repeat as necessary.  Usually successful, however this process absolutely 
will not work if one dissolves into laughter.🤣

Now then, Public Toilets.  You know, the many now designed for wheelchair users?  Believe me, for a wheelchair user these are a huge blessing I applaud.  For a still mobile Little Person these toilets are as high as the sky!  I am not kidding here folks, they nearly come up to my chest!😱

I have heard from other Little People some face these and climb on as one would climb a mountain.  But Public Toilets are very seldom 

clean ones.  NO WAY would I ever put my hands and clothing all over one to climb on like a mountain.🥴

So the only other alternative is to hopefully be a athletic Little Person capable of leaping from a car 
hood to the backs of her horses...only instead of leaping forwards, performing the hopping high to the sky leap of faith BACKwards.🙃

Quite often this endeavor was successful, however I imagine most of you probably do not realize just how large those seat openings are, do you?  Well I do, because those openings would come close to swallowing your Adelaide right up.  Rather, down, I mean.  Not good, not good.  Especially if the seat is slippery and the toilet paper dispenser one grabs before sliding into the abyss comes off the wall.🥴

Thankfully nowadays an ingenious item got created.  It's a easy to carry with a handle fold up step stool made now which I am never without when in public.  However it doesn't help with motion sensors.😱

Now we come to automatic doors.  Automatic doors come with sensors too, with serious design flaws failing to recognize there is a hooman down here seeking to get in or out.  So they refuse to open.  Discreetly trying to be recognized by these never works.  And usually these doors have huge lobbies nearby where lots of people are seated thus providing the hooman with an audience who are quick to take notice of the free entertainment being provided for them while they are waiting for whatever they are waiting for.  Trust me, few ever get up to actually assist the damsel in distress desperately trying to get in or out.🙄  

So at this point, one has three options:

1.  Scream and use swear words (NO WAY!  Not becoming if an audience is present!)😱

2.  Wait (assuming one does not have a plane to catch) for someone to come along going through the same doors

3.  Do a different version of the Adelaide Dance than the one reserved for Paper Towel sensors👇

This version of the Adelaide Dance became created when I discovered where many automatic door sensors are located, which is usually way higher than I am off to the right or left side.🙃

For this version of the Adelaide Dance one must execute some very good leaping towards the heavens and waving ones arms about facing to the right.  If this isn't successful it could either mean one failed to leap high enough, or wave ones arms correctly, or one needs to face left because the sensor is on the left rather than the right, then repeat the Dance.😂

If the Adelaide Dance fails and one has either a plane to catch, or is in need of a restroom facility very quickly, try doing #2 because eventually someone will come along going the way you are, allowing one to catch a ride on their height ability which activates the door sensor.  Should they become aware one is using said person's height ability to open the door, do exuberantly thank 
them.😃👏

This actually happened to me once catching a flight to Seattle, and the man whose height ability I needed and exuberantly thanked him for, wound up not only on the same flight, but was seated next to me!  We had a very delightful visit in which he discovered I owned and galloped on horses, then...wait for it...🤣

"How do you get ON your horses?!!"😂

So my dear ones, should you come across a height compromised hooman dancing and waving before anything with a motion sensor kindly offer to extend your height abilities to please assist them...🤣






















  

One who knows...

One cannot help but be affected by the events happening here in the U.S. and around the world, as the virus continues to rage, and I fear, will worsen.  I have tried to spare you, my readers, by keeping this blog free of the unfolding events, by trying to provide a place where you may come a few moments away from events.  Since some of these events though do affect me emotionally, I am touching on them today.

As I have shared here, I do not ever equate what I experience out there to what African Americans have endured, and live with.  Yet I sure can relate in more ways than one.  I have written about my dear friend Nora who became an adoptive mother figure/mentor along with Ella, Jackie, and Joseph when I was young.  Nora and I became in demand as speakers because the ways we both had risen above severe challenges.  Nora was African American but I no more saw her color than she my shortness.  And she was astounded to meet someone white who knew more about black writers and artists in America than she did, because of what I wrote in yesterday's blog how Langston Hughes literally saved me at age fourteen by giving me someone I could identify with, concerning the hell I was enduring as a Little Person who had nowhere else to turn.

I spent a lot of time with Nora and her family over those years, and have numerous photos of that time.  One thing I haven't touched on here is how dark I am.  I have very olive skin and spending so much time outdoors with my horses, made me even more dark.  Besides having very black/brown eyes and hair.  Guess what though?  No one in my immediate family including grandparents had my coloring.  All had VERY fair skin, blond or reddish blond hair, and blue or green eyes.😖

My parents were asked, and I am constantly asked what country I am from, or if I have African American blood in me (which given my attachment to Langston Hughes and Nora, made me proud).  In the photos I have with me in the midst of Nora's family taken in summers, I am actually darker than they are!😃  

Recently I learned if one parent has blue eyes and one green eyes, or both have blue or green eyes, it is supposed to be genetically impossible for them to have a child with brown eyes.  I asked my parents many times if I had been adopted and they always insisted I was not.  

I have been told though, Felix Mendelssohn, is my great, great, great uncle.  His sister, Fanny, married Wilhelm Hensel.  Fanny was a composer in her own right, while Wilhelm was a artist.  Their father, Moses Mendelssohn, a philosopher, and I share a very uncanny resemblance.  Same shaped dark eyes and facial structure.  He was also very short.  Also many say I resemble Felix Mendelssohn too.  My geneticist, Dr. McKusick who compared my shared facial similarities with both Moses and Felix firmly agreed.  Besides my having the facial similarities of Moses and Felix, everyone on my father's side, including my father, were pianists and artists.  Though talent and being born with the soul of a horse, are not genetically inherited are they?🤣

Even though I have become a very sickly pale these recent years, I am either still questioned where I am from, or have even been called not just a midget, but a "n***a" midget.  It's not just the being called that word which upsets me.  It is the hurt and outrage I feel because of those I love so deeply.  After I became a part of Nora's family and friends whenever they heard me being called those words, they felt intense hurt and outrage for me.  For they too, so deeply loved me in return.💕

Anyway, I only have ever had one encounter with police in my life aside from the two who escorted Patches and I during The Ride.  To complete a theatre set, my crew assisting me and I worked a little past 2 a.m.  I was exhausted.  As I was driving home, I was in the turning lane of a busy intersection.  The light turned green for the cars in the two lanes next to me.  Without thinking I proceeded through my RED light by turning left.  Thankfully, no one was coming from the other direction when this happened.  As SOON as I began making the turn I realized my mistake and briefly threw both hands up in the air, exclaiming to myself, "Oh shit!"😬 

Immediately after I did that, blue lights began blazing on the car behind me.  Now I really exclaimed to myself, "OH SHIT!"😱

Once I crossed the lanes of traffic, I pulled over.  The officer was apparently calling to check on my license plate to see if I had any warrants or anything else criminal I was up to.  When he came to my window, he was LAUGHING!  He told me when he saw me throw my hands into the air immediately realizing what I had done, this meant I was alert to him.  Still he wanted to see my license.  When he saw my height was 4'3" he suddenly blurted out, "Why you're the Patches Lady, aren't you?!!"  

Though a number of years had passed since Patches and I had done The Ride and were in the news so much, there still are not many Little Persons around, especially one with a horse.  Then with concern, he asked what I was doing so late at night...was I okay?  So I explained I was a Theatre Set Designer, and since opening night was two nights later, with the help of my crew, we finished the set which had to be changed.

"Wow...do you know what?  My wife and I were able to get tickets for opening night!  We're looking forward to it!  And now I can tell her I know the Patches Lady who designed the set!"😃

With that he sent me on my way.  When he and his wife arrived at the theatre two days later, they discovered someone had upgraded their seats from midway back, to two near the front.🤫

Yet it has never been lost on me through the years though, as nice as this dear officer was to me, had my driver's license shown my race to be African American and a male, who did the same thing I did by immediately realizing his mistake after innocently proceeding through a red turning lane light, the situation encountered could have been a far different, even sinister one.😪

My deep abiding hope is for change to finally be on the horizon for African Americans in the U.S., and is finally grasped.  I hope there will be change for all race relations here.  Someday, I hope there will even be change for those being targeted with the sheer ugliness and danger just because they happen to be a "midget."  And one who also happens to have a very dark complexion with the soul of a horse.🐎💥🐎   

Finally...

My dear ones, along my journey I have often found when shit happens, it is not always just one thing, but a PILE of shit happening at once.  I am sure all of you have discovered this fact about life too.

The procedure on my urethra didn't help as much as my Urologist and I hoped.  Then the infection worsened.  Am on two powerful antibiotics...one injected into the urethra which is not fun, and the other orally.

Suddenly my colon situation worsened, and we had to increase the expensive new drug which is the only thing keeping my colon working.

In the midst of this my insurance refused approving the drug for nausea I have been on for years due to the progressive nerve damage inside my spinal cord from
the trauma of seven spine surgeries slowly shutting down my digestive and urinary tracts.  (Please forgive my repetition about some of this, but new readers are coming along for the ride here each day, so for their benefit I repeat what is happening.)

Without the drug for nausea, the past eleven days has been a nightmare.  I had to fight the decision made to stop approving my Zofran.  This too is a very costly medication, and one I could not possibly get on my own.  So I filed an appeal, with my doctors backing me up.  It was denied.  I filed a second appeal, again with my doctors strongly backing me.

At first this also was denied.  I took things to the executive level, pleading my case.  When I asked this executive if he had ever been nauseated he said he had.  So I asked him to imagine what it was like living with nausea...how it consumes us, imobilizes us, and we can't focus on anything but the misery of it.  Then to imagine being on a medication that makes ones nausea bearable mostly, and then it suddenly is taken away.  I asked how he would feel.

My appeal got approved late this past Monday.  As you know I am a fighter.😃

However it was late Wednesday before my pharmacy received the approval, then rushed it out to me, knowing how desperately I needed it. 

The following words are from a charming song by Turner Cody called, "Better Days," which is all too fitting of a song for these challenging times we are living in...


Trust in me, shed no tears
Dread no scene, show no fears,
There will be better days,
Better days will come.

'Cause I won't let you lay
Through the dark of the day
And I won't go away, oh no.  

I will hold you long
Till the leaves are all gone
And the strong winter winds blow.  

See the sun sinking fast,
Feel the great shadow cast, 
There will be better days.  

Better days will come.  

'Cause I won't let you lay
Through the dark of the day
And I won't go away, oh no.  

I will hold you long
Till the leaves are all gone
And the strong winter winds blow.  

Better days will come.

My dear compassion spreaders...

I have written about Mr. Rothschild earlier here.  You see, he was across the room from me following my first spine surgery at nineteen, when suddenly faced with not walking again the first time.  I refused to give up.  Eventually I learned to walk again.  Mr. Rothschild had a knee surgery, and was struggling to recover yet having a tough time due to the pain.  That is, until he witnessed what I was accomplishing by not giving up.  It completely changed him, and together we both walked a mini-marathon race together, crossing the finish line with our doctors and nurses applauding us.👏😃

I remained friends with both Mr. and Mrs. Rothschild for years.  And it is a touching part of their story I write about today, for it personifies the Compassion quote of mine I have shared here.

The Rothschild's were wealthy, yet were not defined by it, nor did they "wear" it.  They lived in a regular house in a pleasant neighborhood with acreage enough for two horses.  Because I happened to own horses too, we also became drawn together by our shared equine passion.😃

The Rothschild's longtime maid told this story at a Memorial service for the Rothschild's when both had passed away, after living into their eighties...

Ms. Carrie emotionally told how at Mrs. Rothschild's request decades earlier, she went to see her about working for them.  When she arrived, Mrs. Rothschild not only warmly welcomed her through the front door, but had coffee and cake set for them in the living room.  Not something Ms. Carrie would have ever expected to encounter at all.  Soon, her life would change beyond her wildest dreams though.😊

To sum it up, Mrs. Rothschild was horrified and outraged to hear what Ms. Carrie was being paid for doing six days of work.  The Rothschild's began paying Ms. Carrie quadruple of what she was getting, and for only five days a week!😃

Furthermore, they immediately set up a college fund for Ms. Carrie's son, who went on to become a doctor because of this kindness.  See the ripple effects of compassion spreading I wrote about in my quote?😃

Because Ms. Carrie desperately needed dependable transportation, the Rothschild's helped her get a car to further give her the chance to have a better life.  Then with their connections they even later helped Ms. Carrie get a small home of her own.

Ms. Carrie became a long trusted part of the family, remaining with them nearly sixty years.  Tears streamed down her face as she shared this.  Tears were streaming down everyone's faces hearing this.

Without my having asked them, the Rothschild's also contributed a large sum to the trust fund set up for The Ride my horse Patches and I did several years after our friendship began.  Mr. Rothschild was even part of my entourage following Patches and I that day!😃

The Rothschild's personified all that is good and kind, by using their wealth and compassion to make many positive ripple effects spreading out touching lives then and touching lives still.💕

They will forever be loved and remembered dearly for the compassion they poured forth like ripples of water by me and by many.🙂💕

My compassion quote...

We all have the strength to share the burdens of those we love and those we do not know, because this is what the best of humanity does.  This is what compassion does, and no one has the power to make it stop, yet we all have the power to pour it on.  Pour compassion out like the spreading ripples of water touching all and make a bright shining difference. 
                                         Adelaide

The famous grand finale...

Hopefully by now many of you have read my blog story about The Ride my horse Patches and I made.  If you haven't yet, please read the amazing story in the blog, "Plunging Forth And Not Backward."

When Patches and I successfully arrived at the Danner Farm with all the media people in tow, after completing the ten mile journey, I relaxed as soon as we turned into the gate proceeding along the tree lined lane.

Mr. Danner raised and showed miniature horses.  As soon as one entered the lane was a pasture with many of them.  Remember, for the first time in Patches life during The Ride, he encountered the police who escorted us, media, loud trucks, two bridges, and many along our journey who came out to applaud us, and he did just beautifully.🐎😃🐎

Even so, I hadn't realized how tense I had been until I relaxed, assuming there was nothing else which could have the potential of frightening Patches.  However, one must never ever make assumptions with horses, for they are very good at suddenly surprising one.  And Patches did just that while the cameras were still rolling.🥴

The group of miniature horses were so excited to see this new horse, they came charging up to the fence neighing.  Loudly neighing.  It had never occurred to me that Patches becoming frightened by his own species was cause for concern.  So at the very moment I relaxed, Patches suddenly leaped into the air...while I went flying through the air!😱

Remember my blog on aplomb?  This is when one who rides horses and falls off at times, can sometimes perform the fall in one smooth event complete with ground contact first.  Then in a fluid movement, to keep going until one is back on ones feet as if one had meant to do perform this amazing stunt on purpose.😂 

So, with considerable aplomb finesse, I managed 
to do just that somehow, and eventually landed back on my feet.  And with a smile too!😃

However, this was not quite the grand finale we all expected.  Thankfully, I was allowed to remount Patches, who by then, got acquainted with the miniature horses, and we did the coming through the gate arrival again in a much quieter, more dignified way.😊

Later though, much to the delight of our adoring public by then, the original grand finale fall off Patches was shown in a bloopers segment of the bloopers we managed to accumulate together, with that one very amazing smooth event showcasing my "talent" for eventually landing back on my feet.  And yes, with that smile upon my face too.😃

So keep to the bright side, my dear ones, for you always land back on your feet.  

Ahem...uh...eventually that is...🤣

Living love...

To live on in the hearts of those we leave behind, is because of the love we live in life.
Then why is it so difficult to live love?

Accepting...

Often in our journeys the most difficult person to accept is ourselves.

As much as I have been filmed, interviewed, spoken to groups of people, and have been photographed in the media on my journey, one would think by now making a video of myself for all of you would have been easy for me to do.  It wasn't difficult because of the dwarfism aspect, as you obviously know I am a Little Person, and you have seen the photos I have shared from an earlier time in my journey with my art and Patches.  The problem I was having was seeing the toll pain, disease, surgeries, and a bit of age have taken on me.  And yes, even a concern you would be revolted.😂

This was the first time I had ever made a video.  And a video of myself.  Just me...talking...and rocking...on this rocker love seat I have.😂  And all without a horse.🤣

When I watched the video the first time though, aside from saying "Um," and "Uh" more than I ever do in normal conversation, I didn't cringe very much.  I didn't even feel the horror of seeing myself as I thought I would.  There were two brief moments when I thought I looked "dwarfy," and reminded myself of this very important following fact:  I...AM...A...DWARF.  So of course I would look a little "dwarfy!"🤣

As far as seeing the ravages of pain and my rapidly declining health have taken on my appearance, I had a moment of understandable sadness, yet I was not revolted.

What I am trying to convey is I found myself embracing acceptance.  Of me, where I am now...physically. 

Still, I had one more hurdle to make though.  And this was to proceed sharing the video with all of you and those who follow me on Twitter.  As with everything I do in my life, I held onto my courage, the promise I made to do this, and plunged forth by posting the video.

The reactions I received could not have been more affirming, touching, and appreciated than they were.  When I did The Ride with Patches and waited with much concern as to how the public would react to seeing this Little Person riding her horse ten miles to raise money for medical help needed in Maryland, as in being repulsed by the "midget" aspect of me and not me as Adelaide, I found in a HUGE way my horse and I were embraced with acceptance beyond my wildest expectations.

I found the same with my little videos.  This, my dear ones, was sweet, oh so sweet.  And I wasn't even on a horse.  Just a rocker loveseat...rocking.😂🤣😂

Hold on, hold on...

the struggle

you're in

today

is developing the

strength

you need for

tomorrow